A Magistrate Court in Ilorin, on Tuesday morning fizzed with drama after a lady, Hameedat Ajadi, said to be the step sister of the state’s chief justice, CJ, was arraigned over charges bordering on assault.
The accuser is the ex husband, Abdul-Hameed Oladipupo, who also insists that the said lady has used her influence, being related to the state’s CJ to stymie his quest for justice on the matter.
The matter was eventually heard Tuesday morning before the Chief Magistrate, Ibrahim Dasuki, of an Ilorin Magistrates’ Court, after reports of attempt to have the matter heard in the inner chamber of the a presiding judge.
Justice Dasuki, as learnt, rebuffed such entreaties after the enstranged husband of the lady insisted on open trial, saying that since their divorce proceedings in a Shari’a court was heard openly, the assualt matter shouldn’t be any different.
Oladipupo, filed a direct complaint over criminal assault, mischief and public disturbances against his former wife, Ajadi.
The Defendant’s Counsel, N. T. Obalowu (Mrs), requested that since the parties were formally husband and wife with two children, the court should allow the matter to be heared inside the Judge’s Chambers.
She also requested that the complainant should find a lawyer to represent him, saying that is against the rule of court for complainant to personally read out is complaint in the open court.
She asked for the date of adjournment for the complainant to put his house in order and get a lawyer to represent him in court.
But the husband, Oladipupo objected with reasons that the same counsel has been representing her client at a suit that directly concerns the children at the Shariah Court of Appeal in an open court room without asking for consession for it to be heared in the chambers.
Magistrate said he agreed but the court would not accept such due to the complexity and procedural history of the case.
Meanwhile, the Magistrate ruled in favour of the defendant counsel’s prayer in which she argued that its against rules of the court for a complaint to personally read out his complaint.
Magistrate Dasuki, in his short ruling, ordered Oladipupo to get a lawyer to represent him in order to start the case proper.
He thereafter adjourned the case till December 11, for mention.
He however ordered that the counsel should produce the suspect on the new adjourned date.